Press Release -
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bret Helenius, Manager 505-741-0200
Monday, October 09, 2006
New Mexico Mets Win State Baseball Title
Albuquerque, NM – The New Mexico Mets won the New Mexico State MABL baseball title on Sunday, October 8, 2006. The Mets beat the two-time New Mexico State champion Albuquerque Brewers 9-1 en route to completing a near perfect season of twenty three wins and one loss. The Mets only loss came in a regular season game against the Brewers. The Mets avenged the loss by beating the Brewers twice in the playoffs to bring home the championship. Rod Tafoya of Santa Fe threw a complete game, struck out ten and allowed one unearned run to get the victory and finish the season with a 13-1 record. Tafoya led the league in strikeouts (76) and innings pitched (68).
Abe Balsamo of Taos, went 2 for 3 with one run scored as the leadoff hitter for the Mets and played second base. Germaine Casey of Albuquerque hit the games only home run, measured at approximately 450 feet, with two runs batted in, two walks and one intentional walk. Casey is a former Atlanta Braves minor leaguer that now makes his home in New Mexico. Scott Ferran of Los Alamos, went 2 for 3 with a single and a double and drove in three runs. Steve Rivera of Albuquerque contributed 2 for 3 with one RBI. Abe Balsamo, former Taos High School Baseball Coach and Redlands University Standout, had a .591 batting average for the season in the NM MABL, second only to Scott Ferran also of the Mets. Ferran led the league in average, home runs and slugging percentage, and had a .593 average. Balsamo ranked tenth in the nation in batting average in the MSBL/MABL Association. Ferran led the nation in home runs with ten in fifty nine at bats and ranked ninth in batting average.
Bret Helenius managed the New Mexico Mets and was a relief pitcher, ranked third in the league with a 2.45 earned run average in ten appearances. Helenius also ranked third in strikeouts per nine innings with 13.09 . The Mets ended the season with a team ERA of 2.40, lowest in the league. Ronnie Jaramillo, Assistant Baseball Coach at St. Mikes School in Santa Fe, led the NM MABL league in ERA with a 1.16 in 39 innings and averaged 12.34 strikeouts per nine innings. Jaramillo also ranked ninth in the nation in ERA. Jeff Arellano of Espanola played shortstop for the Mets and ranked second in the NM MABL league in Home Runs with eight.
The New Mexico Mets are made up of baseball players from Northern New Mexico areas including Taos, Espanola, Abiqui, Los Alaomos, Santa Fe and Albuquerque. The Mets include former Minor Leaguers Walter Perea (Philadelphia Phillies), Germaine Casey (Atlanta Braves) and Rod Tafoya (Erie Saliors, NY Penn League). The NM MABL has twelve teams from all over the state. The Mets next stop is at the MABL World Series in Phoenix, Arizona October 18-22, 2006. |
